Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-04-28
An 0verCoat Tragedy.

took it from the hall ana carried IL int
her boudoir. Her name was Eva Viii
ton, and she had been married five
years, and never -never-never in al
that time had onu unhappy moment
Mr.. Wilton had been very attentive
very kind, and very generous. and had
never made her jeai Gus. She often sale
that she was the hsppiest woman liv-
ing. Now. rs she locked ut the lining
and compared the silk with which she
was about to replace the torn. portion,
she was thinking these thoughts. They
had never had any children, but when
people are all in all TO each other that
is no very great grief. All her care
was for him-all his for her.
'"And he is just the dearest. best, tru.
est fellow in the world" said, Eva Viii.
ton to her self. I'm not half good
enough for him. | wonder what this
is in his pocket; it bulges it all out of
shape"
She put her hand into the breast
pocket us she spoke and drew out a
little package wrapped mp in paper and
tied with blue ribbon.
Something he has bought for me, |
expect said Eva II wonder what il
is. | think thatI won't open it until
he comes homc;" AID she laid the silk
across the hole, cut it out. and basted
it down.
IL wonder what it is" she said.
"Tom did mean to get me an opera
glass, | know; but that is not the shape
of the parcel. 1t doesn't seem like q
book. II might be lace wound on q
cord-rcal lace"
She looked at the package again. II
do wonder what it is" she said. and
hemmed the patch down. There
wasn't much to mend, after ALL" she
said. 81 thought the tear much lon
ger He caught it on q nail in the Of
flee, ! know. Now | do wonder what
is in that package"
Eve pu: the coat over the chair and
took up the parcel. Tom wouldn't
mind" she said. 81 will just take a
peep. I'm sure that it is for me-.
Then she undid the ribbon, unfolded
the paper, and saw letters.
Dear Tom she said, che keeps
my old letters next his heart, and has
never told me-"
But the writing was not hers; she
saw that at glance. His mothers
letters" she said. "He loved his
mother So"
Then she began to trcmble little,
for the letters did not begin with my
dear son." nor with anything like it.
She cast her eyes over them. They were
love letters.
Tom has loved some other woman
before he met me-" she said, begin
ming to cry. ..Oh, what shall | do%
Then she cried ont, "Oh, foolish, fool
ish creature that | am! Of course she
died and he only loves me now. 1t was
all oNCl bClOlC VIC illcb. HluSl HOb
mnd;' but here she paused, gave n
scream, and then threw the letter from
her as though it had been serpent
and had bitten her. IL was dated in
the previous week. 1t was not four
days old. ooh! oh! ohr' cried Eve.
"Oh. what shall do? Oh. where shall
l go?'
At every cry thought pierced, her
breast like an actual stab Tom! my
Tom! What shall l do? Tom! Tom!
He to be false-Tom! Oh, have gone
mad! No. There they are! They are
really there--those letters! Why do l
not die? Do people live through such
things as these9'
Then she Knelt down on the floor and
gathered up the letters and steadily
read them through. There was ten of
them. Such love letters. No other in
depreciation could be put upon them.
They were absurd love letters--such as
are always produced in court in cases
of breach of prom Sc. And they call
ed him "Popsy Wopsy," and Darling
Parting" and "Lovey Dovey," and
Gown Sweetness" and angel Of my
Soul" and they were all signed Your
own Nellie"
at is all true" said poor Eva,
wringing her hands. ''And it is worse
than anything l ever heard of. !
trusted him so. | believed him so.
My Tom-mine"
Then she wiped her eyes, gathered up
the letters, wrapped the silver paper
about them, tied the blue ribbon, and
put them back in the awful breast
pocket of that dreadful overcoat, and
hung it up in the hall again.
Tom shall never know" said she.
"rll not reproach him. l will never
see him again; when he comes home
| will be dead l will not live to beai
this"
Then she sat down to think over
the best means of suicide. She could
hang herself to the chandelier with q
window blind cord; but then she would
be black in tine face and hideous. She
would drown herself; but then hel
body would 60 floating down the
river into the sea; and drowned people
look even worse than strangled ones
She was too much afraid of firearms tc
shoot herself, even in this strait. She
would take poison. Yes. that would bc
best; and though she would never SCI
Tom again. he would see her. and re
morse would sting him. Here SHE
made great mistake.
A man who is coo!ly treacherous t.
women never has any remorse. Re
morse in love affairs is purely
feminine quality, and even the worst o
the sex are not without it. However
it is natural to believe that remorse il
possible to man whom one has be
lieved to be an angel in human form
and Eva took q miserable comfort il
the thought that Tom would knee